In a sudden move‚ Pakistans Punjab province has closed all schools and universities for two days (Oct 18 - 19) affecting roughly 18 million students. This decision comes as an attempt to stop the spread of student protests that have erupted in four cities over an alleged on-campus assault in Lahore
The protests which began about a week ago‚ have turned violent in some areas. In Gujrat a security guard lost his life during clashes between protesters and police two days ago. Authorities have made an arrest related to this incident. In Rawalpindi hundreds of students damaged a college building‚ leading to police using tear gas and arresting over 250 individuals
Government officials and law enforcement deny any assault occurred at the private Punjab Group of Colleges in Lahore. Theyʼre now trying to arrest nearly 35 people (including several journalists) for supposedly spreading false information on social media that sparked the protests
Students however‚ are not backing down. Theyʼve announced plans for a rally in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to demand justice for the alleged victim. Its worth noting that student unions have been banned in Pakistan since 1984 - theres no official organizations representing students‚ although political parties youth wings do exist
In a separate development‚ supporters of Imran Khan (the former Prime Minister whos been in jail since early this year) are planning nationwide protests. Theyʼre worried about potential changes to the Constitution‚ specifically regarding judicial appointments. However‚ the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denies these allegations
Sexual violence against women remains a significant issue in Pakistan‚ often underreported due to societal stigma. Protests addressing this problem are uncommon in the conservative country